Egg carton



Patented Oct. 26, 1948 UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE EGG CARTON Wesley J. Roberts, North Little Rock, Ark.

Application June 19, 1945, Serial No. 600,343

5 Claims. (Cl. 229-45) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in packing containers for the shipping and storage of eggs, andthe invention has for its primary object to provide a container of this character embodying a, construction by means of which the eggs may be candled while retained in position therein.

In the candling of eggs it is usually necessary to candle the eggs singly, which involves considerable danger in breakage, and accordingly it is an object of the present invention to pro vide a container for a plurality of the eggs and having openings therein to expose portions of the eggs to light, whereby the eggs may be easily, safely and conveniently candled without danger of breakage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton of this character embodying means whereby the eggs may be candled while packed in the carton, and alsoin which the carton may be used for displaying the eggs for sale and for shipping purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended. i

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a iront elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figures 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on a line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view oi a modif-led tray construction for holding the individual eggs in the carton.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have dis closed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a rectangular-shaped carton, preferably constructed of substantially heavy paper such as usually provided in the manufacture of egg cartons, and including a front wall 6, bottom l, rear wall 8 and end walls 9, the rear wall 6 having a top IIJ formed therewith for folding over the top of the carton, the free edge of the top having a downturned nap Il adapted for insertion behind the front wall 6, as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawing.

'The front wall 6 is formed with a plurality of openings I2 arranged in uniformly spaced relationship lengthwise thereof, andthe bottom I is formed with an equal number of openings I3 similarly spaced so that each front vvally opening is in transverse alignment with a corresponding bottom opening.

The openings I2 and I3 are illustrated as of square or rectangular shape, but may beof any desired shape and size to provide window openings through which light may pass ior candling the eggs and through which the eggs may be conveniently viewed.

A plurality of individual, egg-supporting trays, designated generally at Ill, are placed in sideby-side relation in the carton, each individual tray being of cup-shape or generally cubicle construction'v having downwardly-extending outer walls I5 adapted to engage the bottom l of the carton to provide reinforcement for the tray and assist in supporting the tray in upright position, and four downwardly-converging, straight inner walls disposed in rectangular formation to pro,- vide a snug gripping engagement with the sides of an egg I6 placed inthe tray to support the egg with its lower end above the bottom ofthe tray.

The bottom of each individual tray is formed with an opening I'I which registers with a corresponding opening I3 in the bottom of the carton and the front inner wall and corresponding downwardly-extending front outer Wall are formed with registering openings I8 and I9, respectively, which register with a corresponding opening I2 in the front wall of the carton.

In placing the invention in use, eggs are placed in the individual egg trays It in the carton and a ller strip 20 placed on top of the series of individual trays to close the same. The top Il) of the carton is then closed with the flap II inserted between the outer iront Walls of the i In Figure AI have illustrated a somewhat modied form of individual egg tray which differs from the trays I4 byomitting the outer walls I5 and having the inner walls bent outwardly near their lower ends to provide generally horizontal i iianges 23 which support the tray in an upright position against tilting by the weight of an egg placed therein.

A paper band 24 may be placed over the lower portion of the tray to prevent spreading of the walls thereof.

It is believed the details of construction, manner of use and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing Without further detailed explanation.

It is believed that the many advantages of an egg carton constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A packing container for shipping, storing and candling eggs comprising an elongated carton havingl a plurality of openingsin the iront Wall thereof uniformly spaced apart longitudinally of said Wall, and an equal number of similarly spaced-apart openings in the bottom Wall thereof, and a plurality of individual egg trays disposed in side-by-side arrangement in said carton, each of said individual Vtrays comprising four downwardly-converging inner walls, outer walls and a bottom, said bottom having an opening therein registering with a corresponding opening in the bottom wall of said carton and one of said inner walls and the adjacent outer wall having registering openings therein registering with a corresponding opening in the front Wall of said carton.

2. A packing container for shipping, storing and candling eggs comprising an elongated carton having a plurality of openings in the front wall thereof uniformly spaced apart longitudinally of said wall, and an equal number of similarly spaced-apart openings in the bottom wall thereof, and a plurality of individual egg trays disposed in side-by-side arrangement in said carton, each of said individual trays comprising four downwardly-converging walls arranged in rectangular formation, and a bottom having an s opening therein registering with a corresponding opening in the bottom wall of said carton, one of said converging walls having an opening therein registering with a corresponding opening in the front wall of said carton, andsaid four converging walls being adapted to support an egg with its iower end above the bottom opening in said tray.

3. An individual egg-supporting tray -comprising four downwardly-converging, straight inner Walls, one of which is provided with an egg-viewing opening, a bottom having an opening therein, and outer Wails extending from the top to the bottom of said tray to reinforce said tray and support the same in upright position, one of said outer walls overlying said inner Wall and having an egg-viewing opening therein registering with the opening in said one inner wall.

4. An individual egg-supporting tray comprising four downwardly-converging side walls arranged in rectangular formation and at least one of which has an egg-viewing opening, a bottom having an opening therein, and an outwardlyextending flange around the bottom end of said tray to support the same in upright position.

5. An individual egg-supporting tray comprising four downwardly-converging, straight side Walls arranged in rectangular formation and at least one of which is provided with an egg-viewing opening, a bottom having an opening therein, and means outside of said side Walls for supporting said tray in upright position.

WESLEY J. ROBERTS.

REFERENCES CITED o The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 45 Number Name Date 538,219 Baskerville Apr. 23, 1895 915,177 Hilliker Mar. 16, 1909 915,294 Hilliker Mar. 16, 1909 1,153,620 Hackett Sept. 14, 1915 1,902,167 Hassell et al Mar. 21, 1933 

